Electric door-operating mechanism



May 27, 1930. p, HYNES 1,760,063

ELECTRIC DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 17 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :R; is LEE P. HYNES @513 M15 Swen 1m;

y -9 L. P. HYNES 1,760,063

ELECTRIC DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 17 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 anon Wot LEE P. HYNES INI} Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEE P. HYNES, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CON SOLIDATED CAR-HEATING COMPANY, INC., OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed March 17, 1923.

For a detailed description of the present form of my invention, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan View partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the motor and switches removed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the yokes Fig. 5 shows the door arm;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line 0c of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 shows the limit switch;

Fig. 8 is a section on line ab of Fig. 1 and Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram.

For the operation of doors on railway cars and in similar situations, pneumatic motors have heretofore been universally used and attempts to employ electric motors for that purpose have not proved racticable. In my application for patent erial No. 543,079, filed March 11, 1922, I have shown and claimed an electric door motor containing in 25 the circuit a torsion switch, the two members of which are interposed in the transmission gear between the door and motor so that when the motor torque applied to the door exceeds a predetermined magnitude the switch will open and break the motor circuit. The opening of that switch is resisted by a spring which reacts in both directions, against the door on the one hand and against the motor on the other hand. If the door is obstructed the continued force of the motor will expend itself in stressin the spring until the switcn opens and the motor current cut oil". Thereupon the reaction of the spring will, if the door remains blocked, reverse mechanically the direction of rotation of the motor until the switch is again closed and its effort to move the blocked door is repeated and the switch again opened. That action will continue until. the obstruction to the door IDOVGIDGnt is removed and its run is completed, the motor-circuit being then finally broken by a limit-switch. My present invention includes, as an improvement on the foregoing arrangement, a device for eliminating the reaction of the aforesaid spring Serial No. 625,868.

on the motor, whereby the surging, to-andfro action of the motor is avoided and the strain thereon materially reduced. Thus, in the event of the door being blocked, the motor will operate the torsion switch until its circuit is broken and will then remain stopped because the spring can not react on it to reverse its movement and reclose the switch. If, however, the door is then released, the spring, which is still able to react on the door, will move it forward till the switch is again closed and the motor resumes its driving of the door. It will be recognized that the spring will have suflicient strength to move the door, upon the removal of the obstruction, because it must be stiff enough to permit the driving of the door by the motor when conditions are normal and the door unobstructed without yielding enough to open the switch. The means I prefer to employ for thus preventing the reaction of the torsion-switch spring on the motor consist of a worm and screw interposed in the gear train and a point between the motor and the torsion-switch. The pitch of the screw will be such that, while the motor can act therethrough to compress the spring, yet if the door should become blocked, the spring can not react therethrough. Together with such a non-reacting gear I arrange the spring of the torsion switch so that on one side it will react on the door and on the other side will react against a fixed abut-- ment upon the motor to reverse its rotation. This protects the motor, as above described, and, moreover, if the door should fail to operate the limit-switch, when closed or apparently closed, the motor will not be left in a condition to continue indefinitely its surg ing action heretofore mentioned. The limitswitch may even be omitted for that direction in which the torsion-switch acts.

As a further improvement, I have also devised a form of torsion-mechanism that rotates with the shaft of the radial door arm, but, when it acts, it will move axially along said shaft a pin which is concentric with the shaft and projects from the outer end thereof. This movement of the pin will serve to operate a stationary lever which, in turn,

will operate a snap switch in the motor circuit. By this means I avoid the necessity of providing flexible conductors to follow the torsion-switch contacts, which rotate with the said shaft, or other form of moving connection. 7

Referring to the drawings, F is the door arm shaft which oscillates about 180 degrees to open or close the door through a radial door-arm H secured to disc G on the end of the said shaft F. Loose on the shaft is a sleeve K to which is keyed a gear-wheel E that meshes with a pinion D on the countershaft B. The countershaft carries a worm-wheel C engaged by a screw which is shown in dotted lines at R in Fig. 3 on the shaft of the electric motor A. Both the door-arm shaft and the countershaft are journalled in bearings formed in the casing M. It will be manifest that by the mechanism thus far described, the electric motor when acting gives rotation to the sleeve K. 7

On sleeve K is a radial arm P from the front of which near its outer end projects a pin 30 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in detail in Fig. 6). The pin 30 enters an elliptical opening in one end of a yoke S whose opposite end is pivoted to one end of a .imilar yoke T on the aforesaid door-shaft F. At the ends opposite from the pivot the two yokes are pressed together by two oppositely acting springs 26 and 27. By this arrangement the rotation imparted to sleeve K by the electric motor is communicated, through arm P and pin 80, to the springpressed end of yoke S and thence, through springs 26 and 27 to the yoke T and the doorarm shaft F on which yoke T is mounted. The springs 26 and 27 are of such stifiness that under normal conditions they will transmit the motor torque to the door without yielding materially, but if the door is ob structed, they will yield and allow the end of yoke S to move away from the adjacent end of yoke T. When that occurs the yoke S will lift one end of an angle-lever U whose opposite end extends down into a recess in doorshaft F and there bears against the inner end of an axial pin IV. The pin will thereby be pushed out from the end of shaft F and operate switch-lever Z whose opposite end bears against the stem 16 of the torsion-switch O.

The switch 0 is a toggle snap-switch of a well known type which is in the main circuit of the motor and which opens that circuit when operated by lever Z under the condi tions just described.

It should be observed that the ultimate thrust of springs 26 and 27 is against the door on one side and on the opposite side is against a fixed abutment, to-wit, the longitudinal thrust-bearing of the screw It, since the pitch of that screw is sosteep that it cannot be rotated backward by the worm-wheel'C. In that respect my present arrangement diifers from my former one wherein the back thrust of the torsion acted to mechanically rotate the motor shaft backward as soon as its circuit was broken until'the torsion switch was reclosed. In my present device that switch can only be reclosed by the release and forward movement of the door, not by the reverse rotation of the motor, since the spring, on the motor side reacts against the fixed abutment,

not against the motor shaft. By the present improvement the recurrent opening and closing of the motor circuit, the closing taking place while the motor was reversely rotating, is avoided and the stress on the motor materially reduced.

On the outer end of the doorhaft F is a cam Y for operating the limit switch Q through an angle-lever 8, engaging the stem 19 of that switch. In Fig. 7 the switch Q, is illustrated, this figure also serving to illustrate the torsion-switch O which is the same as Q except for the omission of one of the two circuits. The stem 19 which slides through the box is forced in one direction by lever 8 and in the opposite direction by spring 42. It carriesan insulating block 37 on which are pivoted the two spring-joined toggle levers and 36 electrically connected by strip 34. Vhen the door is moving towardssay its closing position the cam Y and lever 8 will be moving towards the right, the toggles 35 and 36 bearing on contacts 52 and 54 in the door-closing circuit 66, as shown in dotted lines. At the moment of closing, or slightly before, the toggles will pass the dead-center position and instantly snap away from contacts 52 and 54 and against contacts 51 and 53, as shown in full lines, in the door-opening circuit 55. The reverse action will take place when the door is movingin the opposite direction towards its full open position. Fig. 9 shows the electric circuits. I provide two separate fieldmagnet coils for the motor which are reversely wound, one serving to give it its openand the other its closing direct-ion of rotation. The door-opening coil 0 is included in a circuit 55 and the door-closing coil 0 in a branch circuit 6-6. The controllingswitch 12-serves to introduce the supply current to either circuit as may be desired, both,

circuits being completed through the torsionswitch O to the motor armature and ground.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the door provided on one edge with a channel 60 in which rides a roller. J on the outer end of the aforesaid arm. As the arm rotates through an arc'of approximately 180 degrees, the door moves backward or forward. In the figure it is supposed to be in or approaching closely to its closzn position the'arm H at this time b bearing upon and tensioning a sprlng 64. Since this can not act to reverse the motor when thGClICdll] 1s broken, because of the worm and screw form of'gearing, the energy stored in this spring will remain therein and be utilized to aid the restart of the door in the opposite direction. The arm will also act to loc the door in each position.

1 In the door; operating mechanism herein oescrioed are round features of advantage comp: 'cd with the standard pneumatically operated door, one such feature being a gain of more than twenty-five per cent. in the total time required for opening or closing of the same door. That is due to the fact that the electric door maintains a steady rate of speed from start to finish, whereas the pneumatic door requires a heavy initial air pressure for starting which involves a protracted period of pre sin-e reduction toward the latter end which is utilized for cushioning. In my electric door the torsion springs in addition to the function, heretofore described, also 1 proviee an effective cushion without the retardation inherentin the pneumatic door with its extremely slow air checking such as appears in ordinary pneumatic door-cheer. Moreover, by my device I am able to dispense with the door shoe and its n'iotor-controlling connection which is a highly important gain. Finally, t 1e electric plant is compact and complete in itself and devoid of the highly con pier system of relay control required in the pneumatic system.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Electric door operating mechanism comprising a motor, a door operating shaft, nonreacting gearing interposed between the motor and said shaft, a spring interposed between said gearing and said shaft, said spring being subject to the motor torque and reactin against said shaft on one side and against a ti ed almtment on the other side provided by We gearin 2. Electric door operating mechanism comp isin a motor, a door operating shaft, reaoino gearing interposed between the ter the shaft, a spring mounted to ro we r, i said shaft and interposed between the shaft and the gearing, said spring being subto the motor torque and rcacti against shafton one side and against a fixed 'zlient on the other side provided by said ctric door-operating mechanism commotor, nonmeacting gearing between said motor and the door, a soring interi between said gearing and the door, said being bject to the motor torque and against the door on one side and I fixed abutment on the other side and a n1otor-controlling switch operated by the yielding of the spring.

4L. Electric door-operating mechanism comprising a motor, a door operating shaft, a nonreacting worm-wheel and screw gearing between the door operating shaft and the moc: tor, and a spring interposed between the motor and said shaft and subject to the motor torque and reacting against the door on one side and ainst a fixed abutment on the other side prov ed by said gearing.

Elec ric door operating mechanism comprising motor, a radial door arm and its seen concentric shaft, a spring inp n. ccn the two shafts, a switch operated by the yielding of said spi g, and a worm-wheel-and-screw gearing between said scco: s and the motor.

6. Eiec doorop mating mechanism ng an electric motor, a non-reacting between motor and the door inj "it-ing shaft w th a member movcle axially t, :eon, a swit h operated by said an interposed spring in said geard cans for operating said member by 1 1e yielding of said spring.

"I. Electric door cperating mechanism motor, a door-operating arm dlGLo'fOl, a yoke member on said tating therewith, a second yoke mber dri ven by the motor through a wormwheel-andsci'ew a spring connecting the two yoiie members, and a motor-controllin switch operated by the relatively movement of the yokes.

8. Electric door operating mechanism comp-rising a motor, a door-operating arm -.v,-;h a shaft therefor, a second shaft sleeved on the arm-shaft, a countershaft geared to paid sleeviug shaft and operated by the motor igh a worm-wheel and screw, yoke memcon cted respectively to the door-arm ft and the evingg; shaft, a spring between ch t we yolzes and a motor-controlling switch ted by the relative movement of the 9. Electric door-operating mechanism comprising a motor, a door-operating arm with shaft therefor, a parallel shaft driven by the motor through a worm-wheel-and-screw gear, spring connected yoles one on the end of the door-arm shaft remote from the door the other driven by the said parallel shaft, a pin in the end of the door-arm shaft operated by the relative movement of the two yokes, and a stationary motor'controllin switch operated by said pin.

10. Electric door-operating mechanism comprising a motor, a door-operating arm with its shaft, two spring-connected yoke members one mounted on the ooor-arm shaft the other driven by the motor, a longitudinally moving member on the said shaft, a lever between said member and the yoke-members, a stationary motor-controlling switch, and an operating lever for said switch engaged by said longitudinally moving member on the door-arm shaft.

11. Electrical door-operating mechanism comprising a motor, a door-operating arm with its shaft, a sleeving shaft concentric with said door-arm shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft adjacent to the door-arm, a counter-shaft having a pinion engaging the said gear wheel, a worm wheeland-screw gear between said countershaft and the motor, a

spring connection between the outer ends of said door-arm and sleeving shafts, and a motor-controlling switch operated by the yielding of said spring connection.

12. Eiectric door-operating mechanism comprising a motor, door-operating arm with its shaft, a sleeving shaft on the doorarm shaft driven by the motor through a nonreactin gearing, a spring connection between said shafts, a motor-controlling switch opcrate-d by the yielding of said spring connection and limit switches for the motor operated by the door-arm shaft.

13. Door-operatin g mechanism comprising an electric motor having separate field magnets for each direction of movement, a switch for directing current tl'irough either of said field magnets, a limit-switch in each fieldmagnet circuit operated by the motor alternately, spring-connected members one driven by the motor and the other driving the door, and a control switch for the motor operated by the relative movement of said spring connected members when movement of the door obstructed.

14-. Door-operating mechanism comprising a motor, a door-operating arm, spring means interposed between said arm and said motor so that said" arm may be driven by said motor,

a channel on the rear edge of the door, and

a roller on the end of the door arm traveling longitudinally in said channel.

15. Door operating mechanism compris ing an electric motor, a door operating shaft, a non-reacting gearing between said motor and said shaft, and a spring stressed by any tendency to move the shaft to door opening position, and reactin on one side against said door operating shaft and on the other side against a fixed abutment provided by said gearing.

l6. Door-operating mechanism comprising an electric motor having a branching circuit, separate field magnets in the respective branches one for each direction of rotation, a switch for directing current through either of the said branches, a limit switch in each branch, and in the unbranched portion of the said circuit the motor armature and a torsion switch operated by the stress of the motor upon the door when movement of the door is obstructed.

17. A door operating mechanism comprisln a rotatable shaft, a radially disposed door arm secured to said shaft so as to be nonrotative with respect thereto, an electric motor, a non-reacting gearing driven by said motor, and a spring mounted to rotate with said shaft and interposed between the shaft 

